Analysis
By Leonard Badal, Chevron Global Lubricants ;
John Whigham Petrolink USA Inc. ;
Trigg Minnick, Des-Case Corporation
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
has developed a code system called ISO Cleanliness
codes, a universal standard for measuring and reporting
particulate contamination levels in fluids. ISO 4406:99 is the
newest and most commonly used cleanliness code. It is
assigned on the basis of the number of particles per unit
volume greater than 4, 6 and 14 microns. The numbers are
given in this specific order for consistency in comparison.
Each code represents a range of solid particles present in a
lubricant.
What are ISO Cleanliness Codes?
First, particle count analysis is conducted on a
representative sample of the fluid in a system. The particle
count test provides the quantity and micron size of the
various solid contaminants in the fluid. The actual particle
count and subsequent ISO Cleanliness Code are compared
to the target code for the system. If the actual cleanliness
level of a system is worse than the desired target, corrective
action is recommended.
Different mechanical systems have distinct levels of
cleanliness that are required for optimum life and minimum
component wear. Contaminants in a system accelerate
wear, reduce efficiency, increase operating costs and can
cause significant downtime.
Typically, new fluids are not clean fluids. Bulk lubricants
from blending plants can range from 19/17/15 to 17/14/13,
while sealed drum lubricants can have cleanliness codes as
high as 22/21/19. In contrast, highly filtered fluids may have
a code of 16/14/11 or lower.
Importance of Code Compliance
High ISO Cleanliness codes indicate high levels of
particulate contamination in the oil, which increase wear and
shorten the lives of both machinery and lubricants. However,
if a company maintains a sophisticated and effective
contamination control program, the codes can be used to
achieve increased efficiency and reduced downtime.
The codes are also used as a basis for comparison, to
understand how equipment performs under specific
cleanliness levels. Maintenance personnel typically use the
codes to evaluate the need for various levels of
contamination protection.
ISO Cleanliness codes themselves do not differ for
various components. There are no set standards outside a
handful of original equipment manufacturer
recommendations, but Table 1 provides a fluid cleanliness
guide for hydraulic systems.
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Analysis
Generally, the tighter the tolerance on the component's
metal-to-metal surfaces, the tighter the cleanliness code.
For instance, servo valves on hydraulic systems are more
susceptible to contamination-related failures than low-
speed gearboxes. Therefore, the hydraulic reservoir fluid
will require a lower ISO code (cleaner fluid) than the
gearbox. This knowledge allows maintenance departments
to focus on preventing failures instead of treating them, and
prompts them to employ enhanced tactics to keep
contamination out of the hydraulic reservoir.
Contamination Prevention and Removal
There are numerous methods available to meet the
appropriate cleanliness codes, which vary according to
equipment and environment The main objective is to stop
contamination from initial entry, because studies show that it
is approximately ten times more cost -efficient to prevent
contamination than it is to remove it once it is present in a
system. Specific solutions include quality breathers,
hydraulic sleeves and improved storage and handling of
fluids.
Several technologies exist for the removal of solid
contaminants from a lubrication system. The most widely
used method is filtration, followed by centrifuge and
electrostatic technologies.
It is also important to institute a contamination control
program for the establishment and monitoring of
appropriate target cleanliness codes for machinery, storage
and dispensing of lubricants, periodic cleaning of reservoir
tanks and storage vessels, and installation of breathers to
reduce ingression of contaminants. Oil analysis can be
used for tracking trends to determine the value of various
preventive maintenance efforts.
Some of the major lubricant manufacturers offer
programs to help control fluid contamination and maximize
lubricant investment values. For instance,
ChevronTexaco's IsoCleanTM Solutions offers fluid
conditioning services to remove damaging particulates from
system fluids and IsoCleanTM storage containers to
provide fluid contaminant protection and improve facility
and system cleanliness. Desiccant breatl1ers created by
Des-Case® Corporation reduce airborne particulate and
water contamination, whim are leading causes of lubricant-
related equipment failure. Petrolink USA, Inc., offers on-site
lubricant reconditioning and preventive maintenance
services to manufacturing facilities in the Midwest,
Northeast and Southeastern areas of the United States.
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Industry Utilization of ISO
Cleanliness Codes
Industry as a whole is beginning to implement
solutions to achieve compliance with ISO Cleanliness
codes. Manufacturers of machinery are establishing
target cleanliness codes for systems and are also
providing extended warranty considerations for end-
users who maintain long-term system hygiene as part of
their reliability programs.
In addition, end-use customers are becoming more
educated about contamination control and as a result, are
creating buy-in from provide tools for removing
contaminants. They can also utilize life extension tables
to illustrate potential benefits in reducing system
contamination from high to low levels, along with
capturing the economic value of these solutions.
Moving to Proactive Maintenance
It can be difficult to convince maintenance staff of the
importance of complying with and relying on the value of
ISO Cleanliness codes. Due to the recent economy,
maintenance departments are usually squeezed for time
and money. Also, because contaminants are microscopic
and invisible to the eye, most planners are unaware of the
harm these unseen contaminants can cause to system
reliability. Therefore, new tactics can often be seen as
burdensome and inconvenient.
However, with recent emphasis on education and
training, more maintenance personnel are learning about
the problems associated with contamination. Once
appreciative of the benefits that improved cleanliness
offers, most maintenance departments are eager to travel
the road to less downtime and improved reliability and
profitability. Nevertheless, the transition can sometimes be
tough, because while the maintenance department must
deal with typical issues such as rebuilds, outages and
frequent oil changes, it must simultaneously execute new
measures that require extra time. Plus, depending on the
equipment and environment, it is possible that benefits may
not be seen for an extended period of time. Consequently,
this paradigm shift requires a great deal of discipline and
commitment from the maintenance staff.